Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 17 · 2026-10-16

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The graph below shows the number of shops that closed and the number of new shops that opened in one country between 2011 and 2018.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Number of shop closures and openings 2011– 2018

Student answer (Band 4.0)

The line graph illustrates the comparison betwen number of shops that closed or number of new store open in one country UK from 2011 to 2018.

In 2011 the number of shops reached its highest point at about 87,000, while in 2018 the number of shops substatially dopped at 3000. in 2012 and 2014, the number of shops climbed nearly about 4000 to 6000. afterwards they remained constants.

In 2014 the number of shops marginally declined at 500. furthermore, between 2011 to 2018 the number of open shops remain constants

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 2.5

The response identifies the general subject and time period, but it does not accurately distinguish shop closures from openings, so several comparisons are unclear or incorrect. For example, “87,000” is not supported by the graph: the highest opening figure is about 8,500 in 2011. The claim that shops “climbed” from about 4,000 to 6,000 in 2012 and 2014 also misrepresents the separate series, and the statement about a decline “at 500” in 2014 does not match the data. There is no clear overview of the main trends, such as the sharp fall in closures in 2015 or the overall decline in openings. The response is also 60 words below the required minimum, leaving the task substantially underdeveloped.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.0

There is a basic chronological sequence, beginning with 2011 and moving through later years, and a few linking expressions such as “afterwards” and “furthermore” show an attempt to connect ideas. However, the response has no clear paragraph structure or overall progression from an overview to supporting details. References such as “the number of shops” are repeated without making clear whether they mean closures or openings, which makes the comparisons difficult to follow. Some links are also illogical: “furthermore” introduces a statement that does not clearly develop the preceding point. Group the information by series or by major trends, and use precise references to each line so the reader can follow the comparisons.

Lexical Resource: Band 5.0

The response uses some task-relevant vocabulary, including “line graph,” “number,” “highest point,” “declined,” and “remained,” so the topic is generally recognisable. However, the range is limited and several word-choice, spelling, and collocation errors make parts difficult to interpret. Examples include “store open,” “substatially dopped,” “climbed nearly about,” and “remained constants.” The repeated phrase “number of shops” also fails to distinguish closures from openings. Use accurate terms such as “shop openings” and “shop closures,” and choose verbs that describe the data precisely, for example “fell sharply” for the 2015 closure figure. Proofreading spelling and word forms would improve clarity.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.0

The response mainly uses short, simple statements and makes an attempt at a longer sentence with “while,” but the range of sentence structures is limited. Errors in sentence boundaries, tense, agreement, and articles occur frequently enough to affect clarity. For instance, “in 2018 the number of shops substatially dopped at 3000. in 2012” begins a new sentence with a lowercase letter, while “the number of open shops remain constants” has an incorrect verb form and agreement. The opening sentence also lacks a clear grammatical structure for comparing the two series. Practise forming complete comparison sentences with accurate past-tense verbs, and check subject–verb agreement and punctuation when editing.

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